Information Literacy Project

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Pathfinder web site: https://waynecollegelibrary.wikispaces.com/Information+Literacy+Project

Periodical Literature in the Field of Social Services

  • Popular Magazines: These are the magazines you find at the supermarket. You read them primarily for entertainment, news updates, or to appeal to your special interests.These magazines typically are colorful, have shorter articles (usually with no references), and receive substantial revenue from advertising.
  • Trade / Professional Publications: These are the magazines and newsletters put out by professional organizations or to appeal to persons in specific occupations. Articles in these periodicals are written by professionals in the field to address news, practical applications, and specific information needs.
  • Scholarly Journals: These peer-reviewed journals are primarily put out by professional organizations with an emphasis to advance the state of knowledge in a particular field. Articles in these journals are written by professionals in the field, cover theory and research, and include references.
To determine if an item would be considered scholarly, look for the following characteristics:
  • Length: The article is usually several pages long, and can be more than 20 pages.
  • Author(s): The article will always list an author or group of authors. Affiliations and credentials are often listed for each.
  • Audience: The intended audience includes students, researchers, and experts in the field
  • Refereed: Research is reviewed by peer prior to being accepted for publication
  • Illustrations: The article may include maps, tables, and graphs the support the text. Colorful photographs are rarely used.
  • References: The article will always included citations to research discussed throughout the article in the form of footnotes, end notes, and bibliographies.
  • Language: The article will be written using vocabulary used in the author's field or discipline.
  • Format: The article will follow a standard format.
Handout: Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Publications

Locate an article regarding your area of interest in the scholarly journal entitled, Social Work. The article must be in a 2007 or later issue of the journal.

Record the information you will need to formulate an APA citation:
  • Author(s)
  • Article title
  • Source title
  • Date
  • Volume and issue numbers
  • Page numbers
How can you determine that the title is a reliable source?
  • Does the source tell you about the author(s) and his/her credentials?
  • Does the author provide evidence of research? How do you know?
  • Is the source scholarly? What does that mean in terms of reliability?

Locate information regarding your area of interest in a reference book from the library's collection.

Browse a selection of reference books in the library's collection on a variety of social service topics.
Choose a title from the list of Social Welfare Reference and Directory Resources and find it on the shelf. Click on the call number to view the library catalog record for more information.

Locate a professional publication or an appropriate popular magazine published in 2010 or later that is related to your area of interest.

The following magazines are available in the library's periodical collection:
  • AARP Bulletin
  • AARP the Magazine
  • Advocate
  • Business Week
  • Christianity Today
  • Discover
  • E: The Environmental Magazine
  • Forbes
  • Men’s Fitness
  • Out
  • Parents
  • Policy & Practice (American Public Human Services Association) *
  • Provider*
  • Psychology Today
  • Time
(*Professional / Trade publications)

Using the library's online catalog, locate a circulating book with information regarding your area of interest.

Go to the UA Libraries Catalog:
  • Using the "Keyword" tab, enter a word or phrase that describes your area of interest. Keep the phrase short.
  • If you would like to perform a more specific search, use the "Advanced" tab to formulate a search strategy with Boolean operators and truncation
  • From the results page, click on the "modify search" button
  • Under "location" choose "Wayne College Library"
  • Click on "Submit"
  • If you retrieve mostly electronic books (no call number is listed): add this phrase to your search: "and not electronic"
  • Look carefully at the results, noting location (don't choose "Wayne Reference") and availability

During the library's normal operating hours you can stop by, call, text message, or chat with the library staff live: